1. Technical Field
The field of this invention relates to high-volume currency processing using currency processing machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Automated, high-volume currency processing is a growing international industry affecting numerous aspects of the distribution, collection, and accounting of paper currency. Currency processing presents unique labor task issues that are intertwined with security considerations. Currency processing requires numerous individual tasks, for example: the collection of single notes by a cashier or bank teller, the accounting of individual commercial deposits or bank teller pay-in accounts, the assimilation and shipment of individual deposits or accounts to a central processing facility, the handling and accounting of a currency shipment after it arrives at a processing facility, and the processing of individual accounts through automated processing machines. Any step in the process that can be automated, thereby eliminating the need for a human labor task, saves both the labor requirements for processing currency and increases the security of the entire process. Security is increased when instituting automated processes by eliminating opportunities for theft, inadvertent loss, or mishandling of currency and increasing accounting accuracy.
A highly automated, high-volume processing system is essential to numerous levels of currency distribution and collection networks. Several designs of high-volume processing machines are available in the prior art and used by such varied interests as national central banks, independent currency transporting companies, currency printing facilities, and individual banks. In general, currency processing machines utilize a conveyer system which transports individual notes past a series of detectors. By way of example, a note may be passed through a series of electrical transducers designed to measure the note's width, length, and thickness. The next set of sensors could be optical sensors recording the note's color patterns. Detectors can likewise be used to detect specific magnetic or other physical characteristics of individual notes.
High volume currency processing machines typically pull individual notes from a stack of currency through a mechanical conveyer past several different detectors in order to facilitate the sorting of the individual notes and the accumulation of data regarding each note fed through the machine. For example, a currency processing machine can perform the simple tasks of processing a stack of currency in order to ensure that it is all of one denomination with proper fitness characteristics while simultaneously counting the stack to confirm a previous accounting. A slightly more complex task of separating a stack of currency into individual denominations while simultaneously counting the currency can be accomplished as well. On the more complex end of prior art currency processing machines, a stack of currency consisting of various denominations can be fed into the machine for a processing that results in the separation of each denomination, a rejection of any currency that does not meet fitness specifications, the identification of counterfeit bills, and the tracking of individual notes by serial number.
Older prior art high-volume currency processing machines are loaded with one single stack of currency, identified to a single set of accounting parameters, before executing the sort process. For example, a stack of currency associated with a specific commercial deposit at a bank may be loaded at the beginning of the currency processing cycle. The currency is then fed into the currency processing machine and sorted based on the needs of the customer. Data obtained from the sort process, for example the number of each denomination note that was detected during the procedure and the total deposit amount, is then compared to the same data identified to the stack of currency prior to the processing cycle. However, a newer prior art currency processing methods have become available that reduces the labor involved in loading the currency processing machine and improves the security involved in this step. Specifically, these currency processing methods process numerous stacks of currency identified to individual accounting parameters one after another without having to wait to reload or stop the machine in order review data collected on each individual account.
However, in addition to sorting numerous stacks of currency to individual accounting parameters, a need exists to process change orders as well. A change order is an order for a certain number of various denominations of currency needed by a bank customer. For example, a store may send an order for twenty-five $1.00 notes, fifty $5.00 notes, fifty $10.00 notes, and one hundred $20.00 notes. These represent the currency denominations and amounts the store needs to conduct operations for the day. However, each customer has different requirements and, furthermore, each customer's requirements may change from day to day. Therefore, a predetermined routine for filling change orders cannot be used. Because the requirements for different customers are different and because requirements change from day to day, prior art currency processing machines are incapable of filling these change orders which resulted in the change orders being filled manually. Therefore, a need exists for an improved currency processing machine and methods capable of filling change orders automatically with minimal use of manual labor.